On November 28th as the SP&S 700 pulls out of Oaks Park Station, hissing and billowing steam, it marks the 10th year for the Holiday Express. As the vintage train runs on the Oregon Pacific Railroad along the Willamette River, it doesn’t take long for the hypnotic movement of the clickety-clack to transport riders to places once visited or imagined.

In December 2005, a new event bonded generations as families rode beside the WillametteRiveron the Oregon Pacific Railroad in Southeast Portland. For the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation’s (ORHF) first annual fundraiser, Holiday Express, two historic steam locomotives launched a new holiday tradition. Now celebrating its tenth year, ORHF is rolling back Holiday Express ticket prices to less than last year for many of its first weekend runs, November 28-30.

“The Holiday Express is a special opportunity for families to experience the bygone era of steam power,” saidEd Immel, Vice President of ORHF. “It is the only holiday train ride inOregon featuring a full-size steam locomotive, the Spokane,Portland & Seattle #700.”

The immense scale of the Spokane, Portlandand Seattle700 (SP&S 700) is hard to miss; it weighs 440 tons and is over 100 feet long. The drive wheels dwarf all but the tallest of humans. The SP&S 700 is operated and maintained by the all-volunteer Pacific Railroad Preservation Association.

At the Holiday Express people who rode behind steam locomotives 50 years ago hold their grandchildren’s hands as they introduce them to an experience that is so much more than “just a way to get from point A to point B”.

Community Sponsorships Stoke the Holiday Express

All proceeds from the Holiday Express will go to the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation. Fred Meyer Inc. is the event’s corporate sponsor. The Holiday Express is also made possible through partnerships with the Oregon Pacific Railroad, Oaks Amusement Park and Portland Parks & Recreation.

Train rides start Friday, November 28-30; December 5-7 and run through December 12-14.

The Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation is a private nonprofit 501c3 all volunteer organization. Its mission is to provide for the preservation and public enjoyment of Portland’s historic steam locomotives, railroad equipment and artifacts; and to educate the public about Oregon’s rich and diverse railroad history

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NOTE: The Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation is dedicated to making our rail excursions accessible to everyone. Unfortunately, the structural features of these historic rail cars limit access for visitors who use wheelchairs or other wheeled devices, at this time. For more information, go to the ORHF website at www.orhf.org